The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is in the midst of a scandal following accusations leveled against Czech poker star, Martin Kabrhel. Kabrhel, who clinched the third position and a $2.27 million prize in the highly prestigious $250,000 buy-in Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event, is now the subject of a rigorous investigation by WSOP.
With 69 entrants, the competition was the priciest on the WSOP’s 2023 schedule. While Christopher Brewer, a former athlete, took the top spot and its accompanying $5.29 million purse, some participants expressed discontent over the final table’s proceedings.
Dan Smith, who got ousted from the tournament in the sixth position by Kabrhel, didn’t hold back his resentment. Smith publicly criticized Kabrhel’s table behavior, hoping for him to be banned from future events.
The controversy escalated as observers noted Kabrhel’s abnormal behavior, including time-consuming decision-making, frequent chip count requests, and hovering over players’ hole cards. Speculation arose that Kabrhel was marking cards, with video evidence seemingly backing these claims.
WSOP has responded to these allegations with a formal statement: “The WSOP is committed to preserving the integrity of the game and assures that these claims are being addressed with the utmost seriousness.”
Details regarding Kabrhel’s prize disbursement remain undisclosed due to the ongoing investigation. Interestingly, Phil Ivey, who previously faced accusations of ‘edge sorting’, was at the same table when the alleged cheating took place.
In brighter news, UK poker player, Benny Glaser from Southampton, won his first WSOP bracelet a day prior to the scandal. With this victory, Glaser, known for his expertise in specialist games, now holds five WSOP bracelets, the highest among European players. He bagged $311,428 from the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship.